A day at the Cotswolds Classic as a new Worcester Triathlon Club Member – Nigel Watson

Looking around for a practice race to get ready for a Middle Distance GBR Age Group event in Austria in September I came across someone selling their entry for the Classic. Never done it, never crossed my mind doing it, but timing looked ok and had good reports from mates who had done it earlier in year.

Having suffered the same as everyone else with the aches and pains of a part time triathlete easing into ‘mature middle age’, this was always going to be a slow ‘training run’ to test the legs before Austria. However as a new club member I didn’t want to be too slow if I had Worcester Triathlon Club was against my name, because as they say your results are on the net for ever J.

Despite all the best intentions, the day arrived. Up at 4am, water side for 5:30am start at 7am ….. and then the adrenalin kicked in. Forget the training bit, this is a race isn’t it ?. Had a reasonable swim with the odd encounter with those still developing their ‘sighting skills’ and was flying on the bike [ well for me any way ] when a number of front wheel punctures brought me back down to earth with a bang or more of a hisssssss.

Having decided a decent time had now slipped by I pushed the remainder of the bike averaging a respectable 20mph, felt ok and set off for what I knew would be a ‘trying’ run with the old knees feeling the length of the day’s events. Managed a 2:02 run which wasn’t exactly Alistair Brownlee but felt ok and after a massage headed off home having finished 37 / 95 in 113’s medal category for over 50’s, which as a 60 year old made me feel like an elder statesman J

Confidence restored. On the route home I got a message from a mate who informed me I had actually had a decent race and had come 1st in the BTF category for my age group [60 -64] which has secured me a qualifying spot for next year’s GBR age group squad at Challenge Denmark in the European championships and for the World championships where the venue is still to be announced

So all in all a great day, good prep for Austria and proud to have hopefully done the club proud in my first club event